Ratan Tata to meet Buddhadeb on Sep 28

Kolkata, Sep 28: On Sunday, Ratan Tata the Chairman of Tata Group will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee following Tata's request that he wanted to talk to Buddhadeb on Singur issue.

Addressing a student's rallyhere on Saturday, Sep 27, Bhattacharjee said: "I had written to the Tatas. I have received their letter today. In the letter Ratan Tata has said he wants to talk to me. I have said yes to that." The Chief Minister, however, did not divulge when Ratan Tata is expected to be in Kolkata. West Bengal Industry Minister Nirupam Sen had earlier said, "A meeting between the State Government and Tatas may take place on Sunday to discuss the issue."

"The Chief Minister has written to Tata requesting him to restart work at the Nano plant at Singur," Sen said, and added that the Chief Minister in his letter had promised to extend all help and cooperation to the Tatas.

He also said the people of Singur and the state wanted the Tata project to remain at Singur. On Friday, Sep 26, Bhattacharjee had asked Ratan Tata to restart work at Singur Nano project.

There has been no formal communication from the company to the State Government so far. Work on the project has been suspended for nearly a month because of the protest by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress(TC).

Meanwhile, truckloads of material have started rolling out of the Singur Nano factory, a sign that Tata Motors is on an exit route from West Bengal. Trouble began after the West Bengal government acquired 1000 acres of farmland for the Tata Motors' small car plant at Singur last year.

The State Government offered compensation, which some farmers rejected.

The Trinamool chief has been demanding that at least 400 acres be returned to farmers.

The Government says it is in favour of a land-based solution for farmers but was against disturbing the Tata Motors plant site.